litphoria

It is a correct observation that it just checks when the post is small if the first character is an asterisk. I didn't want it to do a check every single time you typed in a character, but it could probably check every few, and on being pasted in.

What about checking at first char, and paste-in, and maybe when you are also doing a save of the post, and then could it check when the Enter key (or Shift-Enter depending on setting) is pressed? So it corrects at the last instant, without checking too often. (Of course, if you want to make the save/IC-check every 10 chars or so, that would be fine too.)

Re-checking right before send is probably the most responsible/least error-prone thing to do, since most people don't notice the text changing on the buttons.

This should be picked up before sending. For those of us who do notice the buttons, I want to trust that if it says "POST OOC", it won't somehow get posted IC instead. I notice the buttons changing and I rely on those. Just that sometimes, if I'm writing IC, cut and paste into another editor (reverts to OOC), then paste it back into Litphoria (still OOC), I don't realise the system forgot I was writing IC.

I was thinking that it would only do the IC-check if you used the key-board short cut, which uses the potentially erroneous default. With the IC-check at pressing Enter, it would correct the default, but you maybe wouldn't see the buttons change since it is immediately posting. On the other hand, if you press the OOC button (because you wanted to post a spelling fix, *myRespelledWord, and you want it to correctly post as OOC), then it would continue to behave as it does now, and force it to post as OOC, even though the preview was showing that it would post as IC.

If I hit enter, it might be after I take a look at the button just below where I'm typing to make sure it will either post OOC or IC. I only ever click the buttons if I want it to do the other one. The fact I've hit enter doesn't mean I'm not paying attention to the buttons.

Well, that is the problem, though. It is showing that it will post OOC when your intent is to post IC. If you're paying attention to the buttons, then you would realize you don't want to hit Enter, and you would then hit the IC button instead, and all would be well. This proposed fix helps those who don't look at the buttons, hit enter, and then end up with an OOC post when their intention was for an IC post.

So, yes, and these things aren't in conflict.

• There are times when I'll trip up the IC/OOC decision making mechanism, by pasting in the content of a post that would ordinarily post IC. In these cases I won't notice the buttons.
• at other times I do see the buttons and I am relying on them. I don't want the system to tell me one thing will happen, and then do something different.

Making the correction at submission time fixes #1 but means I can't trust the buttons to tell me what's going to happen with my post in #2.

What I'm saying is, the buttons need to correct themselves before submission, and then stick to their guns. Correcting on paste would help.

I know what you're saying and I'm saying I couldn't disagree more.

The buttons should switch their indication from the point a leading asterisk is added subsequent to other text entered first, but they don't. And unless the IC-check is performed on every character added then you will get an OOC post when your intention was for an IC post. I really, really don't want the post to match the erroneous indication of the buttons, in that case. I want the post to be posted as IC, I don't care what the buttons indicate, or there's no point to this feedback, and we'll just have to live with erroneous OOC posts.

If it doesn't cost too much to check on every character entry, then great, there won't be a problem. If the IC-check can be performed at text-save points, then there is a high probability that the IC-check gets made again before you post (such as a final period is entered), so practically no problem. But if that's too expensive as WA indicates above, then just make the post match the user's intention, not the erroneous button indication.

Wait, WA, if you are checking for periods and doing a text-save when one is typed, then why can't you check for asterisks being entered and do an IC-check at that point?

If I understand correctly, the script only needs to check if the first character is a * right?

And unless the IC-check is performed on every character added then you will get an OOC post when your intention was for an IC post. I really, really don't want the post to match the erroneous indication of the buttons,

I agree, and think there should not be such thing as an erroneous state. I see where our difference is coming from, and I am behind this being fixed so that the situation we are disagreeing about cannot exist.

Wait, WA, if you are checking for periods and doing a text-save when one is typed, then why can't you check for asterisks being entered and do an IC-check at that point?

It could. Why it doesn't currently, is that code currently only looks at the button you pressed, and not the text as a whole.

Checking whenever it saves can work as a good middle ground between 100% accuracy and performance.

Confirmed, if I switch to OOC posting mode then paste in *testing foo bar*, the posting mode doesn't switch to IC like it would if I'd typed those characters.

I don't think we can or should analyse what you "meant" when you post, since you might well have meant to have an OOC italicised emote or an IC non-emote. We can and should however try to pay attention to what gets pasted in at the beginning of the chat/roleplay input.

I've updated the title to make it clearer.